Course Objectives

The course objectives represent an amalgam of objectives taken from College of Medicine priorities, national surgical organizations, and administrative medicine recommendations. They include Integrated Curricular Themes, such as Evidence-based medicine, Culturally appropriate care, Geriatrics, Humanities, Ethics, and Informatics, combined with the ACGME competencies, Patient Care,Medical Knowledge, Practic Based Learning, Communication Skills, Professionalism, and Systems Based Practice. These competencies are assessed by a 360 degree evaluation from faculty, patients, staff, and external examinations.

The kinds of patients, clinical conditions and settings, and procedural skills needed to satisfy the clerkship objectives were originally derived from traditional surgical opinion, albeit without appreciable supportive data. As the course developed, however, it became clear from the patient log system the types of patients, kinds of conditions, and procedures necessary to provide a firm grounding in surgery. (See Surgery Syllabus for details; page 5).

Individual student clinical experiences are monitored weekly by the Clerkship Director using the patient log system, and adjustment to the student experience are made where appropriate.

The site-specific Clerkship Director is responsible for assuring that the student clinical experiences are sufficient to meet the objectives of the clerkship, and must attest to the satisfaction of course objectives on the Clerkship Director evaluation form.

For a more comprehensive overview of the Surgery Clerkship please see Part C. Required Clerkship Form.